Safety apparatus for elevators.



R. W. BEARDSLEB. SAFETY APPARATUS FOR ELEVATORS. APPLIGA'ITION FILED APR.23, 1913. 1, 1 1 9,001 Patented Dec. 1, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES. lNVE/VTUR BY fi w q THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-ILITHO. WASHING rON. n. c.

UNITED STATES TPATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT w. Bnlinnsnnn, or NEW YORK, 11. in, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T THOMAS roman, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. v

Application filed April 23, 1913. SeriaINo. 763,018.

ToaZZ whom it mag mm;-

Be it known that 'l, ROBERT WV. BEARDS- I LEE, a citizenof the United States, residing 'at New York city, county of New York,

State of New York, have invented certain This invention relates to, safety devices for operatingjelevators and is particularly useful in connect on with passenger elevators to prevent accidents when persons are passing 'onor off ofwthjcars. In certain devices nowinuse for this purpose, the car cannot be started while the gate is open.

Onaceount ofv the fact that the mechanisms connected with the controlling lever for starting and stopping the car get out of "adjustment andare also subject to great variations due tochanges in temperature, it is found in practice that these devices do not operate Withgreat accuracy. This is particularly true of, hydraulic elevators in which the pilot valve is controlled by a cable from the car lever and. in which the locking takes place at the pilotvalve. On'account of changes in the length of the cable, it is diflicultto maintain an unchanging relation be tween the position of the car lever and the locking position of the pilot valve, for it is ob vious that in order for such mechanism to operate, the mid-position of the" lever must always 7 correspond to the mid-position or looking position of the pilot valve, As a result of this it frequently happens with such. safety devices that the car may be operated and thegate opened in an unsafe manner, andin such away as to endanger a passenger passinginto or'olf the car. v

One of the se'veral objects of this invention is to provide a construction and ar rangement for locking the car controlling lever which will permit a certain amount of play or range in the neutral "position or stop position, so that it is not necessary for the lever [to be" exactly inmidposition in order for the safety device to be operative i further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which will necessitatethe car being stopped and} standing substantially at the floor before the gate of i that floor canbe opened at all.

A further object of the invention to provide an improved contact devicefor the i f SAFETY nrrAnA'rUsroR n nvAroRsL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

, purpose of closing one of the controlling hereinafter described, all of which contribute to produce an eflicient safety device. A preferred embodiment of my invention will be particularly described in the following specification while the broad scope of myinvention will bepointed out in the ap pended claims. d In the drawing which is diagrammatic, Figurel is a general view showing a shaft with'a car andwiththe safety devices; Fig. 2 is a detail upon an enlarged scale showing a circuit-closer controlled by the car lever and showing also the details of construction of the locking segment for the lever; and Fig. 8 is 'a'diagrammatic view similar to, Fig. l but illustrating the invention as applied to an electricelevatdr;

7 Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 and 2: represent the side wallsvof an ele-. vator shaft 3 in which the car travels. At the floors which are indicated by the lines 5 and 6, gates 7 are provided which may be adapted to slide open in the usual manner on guide rails 8. The car 4: is preferably controlled by a lever 9, the lower extremity whereof is formed witha cross-head 1O having sheaves 11 which maintain a constant connection with two runs 12, 13, of an operating cable in awell-known manner. The

upper part of thislever 9 which projects above the segment 14 is provided with an electrically controlled lock 15- which prefwhich is adapted to be drawn down when the magnet is energized in order to advance the bolt 18 into engagement with the segment. The armature 17 is normally held up I so as tomaintain the bolt 18 in a withdrawn position by a spring19 The gates 7 are provided with electrically controlled looking devices or looks 20, and these locks are connected in branch conductors 21 leading tocontacts 22 which are most conveniently placed near the shaft Wall 2, and the current for operating these locking devices 20 maybe supplied bya source of E. M. F.

.65 that as the gate moves away,

such as a battery 23 to which the branch conductors 21 are connected in parallel.

side of the central or mid-position line26'j of the lever. Opposite to the contact 'a similar contact 27 is similarly placed, and this contact 27 is connected by a conductor 28 with a contact device 29 which isadapted to engage with the contacts 22 as the car arrives at each floor. When the car is stopping at a floor, the lever 9 operates to bridge the contacts 25 and 27. In order to do this, I prefer to provide a circuit-closer 30 which is in the form of a trigger havinga conductingfinger 31 above its pivot pin-32, thelower part of the pivot being formed into a yoke 33 which cooperates with a-pin 34 fixed on the side of the lever. The path of travel of this pin 34 is indicated by the dotted line. 35 in Fig. 2. When the lever is thrown to the right, the pin passes out of engagement ywith the circuit-closer and throws the finger 31 over in engagement with ,the contact 25 and, out of engagement with the contact 27. Ina similar manner when the lever moves to the extreme left, the contact is broken at this point. From this arrangement it will be seen that the circuit through each gateilock 20 is normally open at two points. lVhen the car is just arriving at a floor, the contact device 29 engages the contact 22 and closes the circuit at that point, and as the lever comes to its stop position or neutral position, ,it actuates the circuit-closer 30 to close the circuit between the contacts 25 and 27. The range of pos sible positions of the car during which the circuitthrough the gatelock can be closed depends of course upon the length of each contact or shoe 22. If great accuracy is desiredin this respect in the operation of the elevator, the contact shoes'22 will be made very short and vice versa. y The electrically controlled locks 20 include bolts 36 which may be at the upper edges of the gates asinclicated, andthese bolts 36 may have beveled faces 38 enabling the gates'to be slammed shut, These bolts 36 pass up through solenoids 39 which form parts of these controlling locks so that when the current passes, the bolt will be drawn up and release the gate.

I provide means for locking the lever 9 against movement as soon as the gate moves to open. In order vide circuit-closing devices 40 including contacts 41 and 42, the contact 42 ofwhich is fixed while the contact 41 is carried by plunger 43 which is pressed toward the gate by'a spring 44. The end of the plunger 43 s in contact with the edge of the gate so spri 4 "terminal of the solenoid conductor 49 with the other side of the bat to accomplish this I pros tery 46 or other'source of E. M. F. and returning by branch wire 47 connecting with the lead 48 from the solenoid, 16, the other tery 46. v p In order to enable the lever 9 to be locked to the segment 14-whenthe locking bolt 18 1s advanced,- I prefer to provide the middle point of the segment with a. plurality of steps 50 forming shoulders 51 which the bolt 18 may engage. The segment preferably. presents also acentral notch 52having w an, upwardly extending central. projection or lug 53 and the bolt 18 is preferably formed witha notch 54 to engage this projecti0n to lock thelever exactly in its middle position. The end of the bolt may drop into the space at each side ofthelug 53, the bolt then being. lockedbetween the lugand the adjacent shoulder 51. ,In this Way. there are three locking positions of the lever which are-all neutral, positions or stop positions for the lever.;. If the bolt should descend to the segment before the lever has come opposite-the central notch 52,.it will come uponjthe steps 5O Whichwill lockthe lever against-moving, awayv from its neutral being connected by or stop position. Beyond the steps 50 the.

outer portions of the segment are provided with teeth which present shoulders 55 'for the same general purpose .as theshoulders 51. On account 01 these shoulders or teeth if by accidentthe bolt 18 comes into engagement with'the segment, for instance in case of breaking theflspring 19, the lever could be moved onlytoward its stop or neutral position thus preventing any movement of. the lever in direction to increase speed. The circuit-closer '30 gives a certain amount. of flexibility of adjustment of the lever controlled contacts and is preferable to having the lever close the contacts directly. For instanc if. it is desired to slightlyincrease the arc of activity otthe locking device on the segment, this can be accome plis'hejd'by substituting a circuit-closer for the circuitcloser 30, having a different shaped yoke and giving a widerrange ofactuating movement to the pin'34 without opening the circuit betx een the. contacts 25 and 2 v i Referring to the contactldevice 29,1I pre wheel, being engaged bythe lever 62 for this-purpose. .Tlie'jcircuitclosing finger 3} frictionally jengages' the contacts so that it holds itself'in any position/in which it is 'lelt'tby thepinB l. My" invention can also be readily applied- -to an electric elevatorljOnemanner off-applying the invention in such a 0218818111118- trateddnfFig. 3 1 'nwh1ch 64 represents the elevatorshaft through which the car 65 passes, the said car being- COIItI'OllQCI'QlJYEL lever 66 which, by its-movement, afi'e'cts the main "operating circuit67. The main circuit 6? includes a'circuitbIeaker or switch 68 which may be opened by energizing a solenoid 69. Any suitable wiring arrangement is adopted which will energize this solenoid when thecar is ata floorand the lever 6 6 is Y in its stop or neutral position. Thismay be done directly throughthe medium of the lever or indirectly)through the doci- 70 which is' arranged so' that it cannot be opened unless thelever is in mid-position or stop position. As illustrated in Fig. 3, I may form the door 70 of two sliding sections71.,'72 connected in operation through racks 1'3 and a pinion H- so thatthe doors xope n in unison; .Thedoor 72 may have a projection"75 orother means for throwing over a circuit closer 76 which-closes a circuit through a conductor 77passing to a locking device 78 on the lever and thence passing through the solenoid 69 before returning to the battery 79. The other door 71 may be provided with anelectric' locking device 80 similar to thetloclting device 20, and I may'provide the upper edge of the door 71 with a rack 81 having inclined teeth so that the door cannot bereopened after it has become partially "closed. The locking device 8O is connected with a branch con ductor-8l which leadsto a contact 82 which "may be closed by the lever 66, the contact" i point 83 which is employed for this purpose being connected by a conductor 84 with a contact device 85;" Thefcontact device 85 is similar to ,the contact d vice 29 already described.

In the operation: of thedevice'when the car is at a floor, the contact device. 85 strikes a fixed contact 86 corresponding to that floor. Then when the lever 66isthrown' to neutral position, the circuit is closed from the battery" through the door'lock 80 and through contacts 82and [88 and'through conductor 8% andcontactfdevice 85l WVhen the door opens slightly thedoor ='72fcloses a branch circuit throughithe circuit-closer 76 and contact 7 6 through the conductor 7 7 andlocking device *Z8so as tolock the lever against the segment 87 and at the same timeenergizes the solenoid 69 and. opens the operating circuit. C1rcuitthroughconductor 7 7 also passes. through. a button 77 which may be opened to enablefthe car to move along the shaft to'close a door which may have, been'left open accidentally and to facilitate repairing and adjustment of the elevator mechanism.

- It is understood that the embodiment of 'myiinvention described above is only one of the many' forms my invention may take,

and I therefore do not Wish to be limited in the practice ofthe invention nor in the scope of theclaims' to the particular-construction set forth.

ranged to positively ,close the said circuit at a Second pointbythe act of swinging the sa1d lever into its stop or neutraiposi tion when thecar is near a floor, said cir- I cuit being normally closed at'all other points whereby the said gate may be openedfrom the exterior of the' elevator shaft when the vcarhas beenlelitistanding at a floor.

2. In a safet'y device for elevators, in combination, a car, a controlling lever carried thereby, a gate at a floor, 7 an electrically controlled lock for said gate, a circuit connected therewith,normally open at only two points, means controlled by the car position I for closing said circuit at one of said points when the car is at "the fioor,means for closing said circuit by the swinging movement of said lever at the otherof said normally open points when the lever is moving substantially into the neutral or stop position, a fixed member adjacent the leverhaving means operating to lock the lever in different stop positions and automatic means for locking the said lever in anyone of sa1d stop posltions while the said gate is open.

3. In a safety device for elevators in com-v bination, acar, a controlling levercarried thereby, a. gate at afloor, an electricallycontrolled lock for said gate, a circuit connected therewith adaptedto unlock the gate when the circuit is closed, means controlled by the cars position for closing said circuit at one point, when the'car is near a floor, an electric contact carried on the car and arranged to positively, close the said circuitat a second point by the act of swinging the said lever into its stop or neutral position when the car isn'ea r a-floor, said circuit being normally closed at all other points whereby the said gate may be opened from the exterior of the elevator shaft when the car has been left standing at a floor, a 1ocking segment for locking said lever, a locking bolt cooperating with said segment to lock said lever thereto in its stop position, and electrically-operated means arranged to actuate said lever locking bolt to lock the lever-automatically when the gate is opened.

4. In a safety device for elevators in combination, agate at a floor, an electrically controlled lock for said gate, a car, a lever on said car having a plurality of stop positions, a circuit connected with said lock, and a circuit-closer which may close vsaid circuit actuated by said lever only when in a stop position, an electrically actuated locking bolt on said lever, a segment coe closing the said circuit by said lever ina plurality Of' stop positions to permit opening said gate, a circuit arrangedto be closed by opening said gate, a segment for holding said lever thereto against movement in either direction in any of said stop positions, and means carried by the lever to lock the same to said segment controlled by said last circuit.

6. In a safety device'for elevators, in combination, a car, a controlling-lever carried by said car, a segment having steps near the stop point thereof, an electrically controlled locking bolt carried by said lever and adapted to cooperate with said steps to lock said lever to said segment in a plurality of different stop positions, agate at the floor,

an electrically controlled gate locking device therefor, a circuit Which may be closed by said lever in said stop positions and operating to actuate said gate locking device to permit the opening of said gate, and automatic means actuated whenthe gate is open to advance saidbolt to engage with said segment. v 7. y In a safety device for elevators in combination, a gate at a fioor, an electrically controlled lock for said gate, a car, a lever on said car having aplurality of stop named circuit automatically by the opening of said gate. 7

8. In a safety device for elevators in com bination, a car, a controlling lever therefor having a plurality of stop positions for which the car willstop, electrically controlled locking meansfor lockingsaid lever inany of said"stop positions, a gate, and means controlled by said gate for closing a circuit to said locking means when the gate is opened, to lock said lever.

Signed at'NeW York this 21 dayof April,

ROBERT W. BEARDSLEE.

l/Vitnessesr;

. v F. ,D rhMMEN,

ABRAM B RNs'rEIN,

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D, C. c 

